Dona M. Jayakody ^1,2,3,4* Eunkyeong Grace Je ⁵ Isabelle Livings ¹ Paul Mcilhiney ^1,6 Michelle Trevenen ^3,6,7 Damir Kekez ^1,6 Nahal Mavaddat ⁶

• ¹ Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia
• ² Centre for Ear Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• ³ Centre for Health and Ageing, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• ⁴ School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
• ⁵ School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• ⁶ School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
• ⁷ School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Purpose: As hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor of dementia, allied hearing-healthcare professionals (AHHPs) frequently see older patients who are affected by both conditions. However, little is known about how well Australian AHHP's understand the complexities of providing care to patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia, as well as their associated views and practices. Thus, the current study used a survey to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of Australian AHHPs in managing comorbid patients.A cross-sectional design was used, wherein a KAP survey was developed and distributed to eligible AHHPs via Qualtrics. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.Of approximately 4,000 invitations, we received 117 responses (~2.9%), with 101 meeting inclusion criteria. Thus, pParticipating, were 101 Australian AHHPs met inclusion criteria (2.59% of approximately 4000 invited AHHPs), and participated in the study. Although participants generally possessed a high level of knowledge for the association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, their specific knowledge and practices in relation to cognitive screening tests and referral pathways was limited. Participants also expressed mostly positive attitudes toward their role in assisting patients with comorbid hearing loss and dementia. Furthermore, our results suggested that some KAPs relevant to comorbid patients differed based on sex, qualification, and ethnicity.This study identified gaps in the knowledge and practices of Australian AHHPs with regard to the complexities of addressing comorbid cognitive impairment and hearing loss. These findings will help to develop training programs to empower AHHPs to deliver optimal healthcare services to comorbid patients.